Many Kentucky Counties Rely on Federal Dollars for Nearly Half of Individual Incomes

A county-by-county analysis shows Kentuckians depend on federal government initiatives at a rate higher than the national average. The analysis by the New York Times looked at each county in the country, and the percentage of income its residents received from 50 federal benefits programs, such as Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and food stamps.

Virtually all of Kentucky’s counties are above the national average of 17.6%. Warren County residents receive 22% of their income from federal programs. In Hardin County, the number is 20%, while 24% of the income received in Daviess County comes from Washington.

In Pulaski County, the number is much higher, at 35%.

The Kentucky counties with the highest dependence on federal initiatives cut a stretch along the border with Tennessee and extend upward into eastern Kentucky.

Some of the counties with the highest percentage of income derived from federal programs are Monroe, at 42%; Clinton, at 44%; Cumberland, at 46%; and McCreary, at 52%.